News

International Women’s Day Spotlight on UC Davis Women in Materials Science and Engineering

In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8, the University of California, Davis, College of Engineering recognizes women in engineering, their journey to and in the field, and how they promote a diverse, equitable and inclusive world.

Meet some remarkable women in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and learn how they inspire inclusion in engineering.

Inaugural Amiya Mukherjee Memorial Fellowship awarded to Hudson Shih

"I find Professor Mukherjee's legacy to be very inspirational," said Ph.D. student Hudson Shih, who was recently honored as the first-ever recipient of the Amiya Mukherjee Memorial Fellowship, named for the late Distinguished Professor who paved the path for materials scientists at UC Davis.

In Memory of Distinguished Professor Emeritus Subhash Mahajan

It is with great sadness that the Department of Materials Science and Engineering announces the passing of Distinguished Professor Emeritus Subhash Mahajan. He is remembered in the community as a gifted mentor and generous friend and colleague. 

Mahajan was considered one of the foremost experts on electronic materials and slip and twinning phenomena. His research focused on understanding the interrelationship between structure properties in semiconductors and the deformation behavior of solids.  

Assistant Professor Amir Saeidi Named 2023 Public Scholarship Faculty Fellow

Amir Saeidi, assistant professor of teaching in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, was selected as one of eight Public Scholarship Faculty Fellows the University of California, Davis Office of Public Scholarship and Engagement announced the 2023-24 cohort on Tuesday.  

Robert Caligiuri ’73 Builds a Legacy of Support

Robert Caligiuri '73, who has been named a 2023 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Medal winner, would not be where he is today without the late Distinguished Professor of the University of California, Davis, Department of Materials Science and Engineering Amiya Mukherjee.

Faculty Appointment a Homecoming for New Materials Science and Engineering Professor

For many new faculty members in the College of Engineering, the interdisciplinary advantages of the University of California, Davis, are welcome discoveries. Mingwei Zhang, a new assistant professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, was already very familiar with the unique connections UC Davis creates across campus though.

'Lava Lamp' Vesicles Show How Cells Could Self-organize

The inside of a living cell is crowded with large, complex molecules. New research on how these molecules could spontaneously organize themselves could further our understanding of how cells manage their essential biochemistry in the crowded space.

The Space Between

We all have experience with water turning from solid to liquid to gas and back again. But knowing what happens scientifically during those transitions is an essential, yet unanswered scientific question that Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering Jeremy Mason and his research group are pursuing.

How to Persevere

Materials science and engineering Ph.D. candidate Cassondra Brayfield is on track to finish her degree in August, but she is quick to acknowledge that the road to success has been bumpy.

Using Machine Learning to Find Reliable and Low-Cost Solar Cells

Researchers at the University of California, Davis College of Engineering are using machine learning to identify new materials for high-efficiency solar cells. Using high-throughput experiments and machine learning-based algorithms, they have found it is possible to forecast the materials’ dynamic behavior with very high accuracy, without the need to perform as many experiments.

UC Davis Alumna Pays it Forward as Pioneer in Electron Microscopy

Miaofang Chi, Ph.D. '08 is a distinguished scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and electron microscopy pioneer. In many ways, her experiences, training and mentorship at UC Davis set her on this path and continue to help her as she develops new methods to apply materials science concepts to new fields ranging from energy to planetary science.

2023 Graduate Student Excellence Awards

The College of Engineering is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2023 Graduate Student Excellence Awards: Isabella Loureiro Muller Costa, Peifen Lyu, Patrick Cunningham and Tanner Finney.  

Innovating for our future

Peifen Lyu ’19, Ph.D. ’25 has created a magnesium-based nanoscale optical device that dissolves in water and changes colors in displays. It creates a color change across several applications, such as a coating for pills or as sensors in environmental science for testing different chemical compositions.

Amir Saeidi: Making Connections to Make a Difference

The first time he learned about the science behind teaching, Materials Science and Engineering Assistant Professor of Teaching Amir Saeidi knew how he wanted to make a difference. The social sciences and humanities students in his pedagogical fellowship program were all familiar with concepts like active learning, but Saeidi had never seen anything like them in his engineering classes and decided he needed to use and promote that.

Professor Emeritus Jeffery Gibeling Named Interim Vice Chancellor of Research

University of California, Davis, Chancellor Gary S. May has appointed Professor Emeritus Jeffery Gibeling to serve as the interim vice chancellor for research effective March 1. May will form a recruitment advisory committee soon to conduct a nationwide search for the next vice chancellor. He anticipates Gibeling will serve in the interim role for approximately six months.

Student Spotlight: Ph.D. Candidate Isabella Costa

Meet Isabella Loureiro Muller Costa. Costa is a third year Ph.D. candidate in materials science and engineering at the University of California, Davis. Isabella is in the Ceramic and Glass Industry Foundation, or CGIF, President's Council of Student Advisors and brought CGIF Mini Kits to Brazil last year to expose students to materials science.